What is assam laksa? This Malaysian dish is not like other laksas

PLATE UP

To borrow a phrase from classic Australiana: laksa ain't just laksa. As with equally famous noodle soups such as ramen and pho, laksa is a base from which to start your gastronomic adventuring, a style that has been tinkered with by many people in many places. Case in point: assam laksa. This is not the curry-based soup you might be familiar with. Assam laksa is based on a pungent, fishy broth which has a fair whack of tamarind to give it that signature sour tang (the name "assam" is derived from the Malay word for the souring agent traditionally used). This broth is served over rice noodles, topped with flaked fish – usually oily types such as herring or mackerel – and garnished with pineapple chunks, cucumber, herbs, fresh chillies, maybe calamansi lime, and a fermented shrimp paste called hae ko. The finished product hits all the right flavour notes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.

FIRST SERVE

This is one of those dishes with no settled history, because assam laksa didn't just appear, fully formed. It evolved over time. What is known, however, is that its genesis was in coastal Malay communities, and it was influenced by Peranakan cuisine, but also by versions of laksa made in the north of Malaysia, and the east coast. Malay fishermen would use small fish, which couldn't be sold elsewhere, to make broth; when Chinese migrants arrived, their noodles became a popular accompaniment. The dish really became a hit in Penang, which is now its modern heartland.

ORDER THERE

Ask 10 Penang residents for the best assam laksa in town and you'll get 10 different answers. Still, Air Itam Laksa (Jalan Pasar, George Town), has been open more than 50 years, and there's a reason why.

ORDER HERE

In Sydney, try assam laksa at Malacca Straits on Broadway (malaccastraitsbroadway.com.au). In Melbourne, give it a whirl at Laksa King in Flemington (laksaking.com.au).

ONE MORE THING

That traditional souring agent mentioned earlier is asam gelugur, a tree native to Malaysia. The fruit is dried and then stewed and used in a similar way to tamarind.